Pivotal connection replacement



May 15, 1951 B. v. ZILLMAN PIVOTAL CONNECTION REPLACEMENT Filed June 24, 1947 Flahl INVENTOR.

Patented May 15, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates broadly to pivotal connectors, and more especially to replacement connectors to supplant the original connectors that have become too loose or otherwise unsatisfactory to properly function to control the pivotal movement of relatively movable members of a mechanism connected thereby.

Pivotal connections are to be found in most every kind of machine combinations, to transmit and correlate the movement of one member to that of another and, after some use, wear between such parts causes them to become loose and to otherwise permit too much play, so that as a consequence the efiiciency of such a mechanism becomes impaired and its operation is inaccurate.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a replacement pivotal connector for such cooperable relatively movable members of a mechanism, that will restore the latter to original accuracy and efficiency of operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide a pivotal interconnection between overlapped, relatively movable members, that will be selfadjusting to compensate for and take up wear thereat, and which will retain the parts in substantially their original and intended operative relationship.

An added object of the invention is to so construct such a pivotal connector of the kind described, that it will have a minimum number of parts, to thereby not only lessen its cost of manufacture, but which will be very easy to use and apply as a replacement unit.

A further object of my invention is to provide as a part of my device, a washer that will serve not only to seat and center the spring element used, to thereby insure that the spring pressure will be truly axially of the pivot element and thereby make for the most efficient operation of the device, but will additionally serve to prevent said spring from cutting into and damaging any of the pivotally interconnected members.

Another object of my invention is to provide, as a part of the improved device, a single nut that will serve as a combined adjusting means to tighten the spring and increase its pressure, but which will act as a lock nut to prevent any probability of accidental loss of such nut through vibration of the mechanism to which it is applied, or from other causes.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described, will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, as will be apparent from the disclosures herein given.

To this end, my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described, and the uses mentioned, as will be more clearly pointed out in the following specification.

In the drawings, wherein like reference char acters represent like or corresponding parts throughout the views:

Figure l is a plan View showing fragmentary portions of a pair of pivotally interconnected machine members, showing my replacement connector in place; and

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional detail of the same.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, l and 2 indicate bars, arms or rods that are arranged to overlap and be superimposed on one another and to correlate the movement of one of said arms to that of the other, as for example the arm I may he herein considered as extending from an electrical distributor holder of an automobile motor, while the arm 2 may be considered as extending from the vacuum unit of the motor, so that the timing, controlled by said distributor should vary according to changes in the octane ratings of the motor fuels used.

Of course, it is common to interconnect members of many other mechanical devices through a pivotal element, to transmit relative movement therebetween, such movement occurring frequently or infrequently as the need therefor arises.

Where such movement, especially that for adjustment, is confined to close quarters and within short limits, it is obvious that too much play at such pivotal connection unfavorably disturbs the accuracy and efiiciency of operation of the machine,

Through continued use, the original pin or colt which served to pivotally interconnect the relatively movable parts of the machine, will wear at said pivots, and looseness and play will result, so that said connection no longer serves to accurately and consistently control the relative movement of said parts, and a replacement unit, such as is herein set forth should be used to restore the parts to their original relationship.

Openings 3 and 4 are provided through the arms I and 2respectively, in registry or alignment when said arms are in their intended overlapped relationship, and through which the pivot pin or bolt originally extended.

A truncated cone or frusto-conical element 5, tapered to provide an enlarged end 6 and a reduced or small end 1 to be inserted to engage the said openings and form a bearing therewith is made of an axial length much greater than the size of the combined thicknesses of both arms and 2 at their said openings.

This cone is inserted through the aligned openings 3 and 4 with the small end 1 of the same preferably not extending entirely through the latter opening of the arm 2, but upon the contrary to initially terminate inwardly of the farther end of said opening and between the opposite faces of said arm at said opening. Of course, it is to be noted that said cone element bears snugly against the bounding walls of said openings to permit and control said pivotal movement of the arms, but without unwanted play thereat.

In order to make the pivot element self-adjusting axially and thereby automatically compensate for wear at its pivot bearing, I have provided a spring element 8 for the purpose, as will be hereinafter described.

An externally threaded shank 9 extends in axial alignment from the reduced end I of the cone element, and is either of one piece with said cone element or the same may be otherwise made integral and unitary therewith by being welded thereto. If desired, a kerf or slot I8 may be formed in the enlarged end of said cone element to receive an end of a screw driver or some other suitable adjusting tool.

A nut H is threaded to cooperably receive the threaded shank 9 therethrough and, in order that said single nut may be self-locking as well as for adjustment, I prefer to have a fiber insert i2 held within the nut to also receive the threaded shank 9 therethrough, it having been found through experience that when a nut is so constructed, that it serves the dual functions of permitting axial adjustment and of locking against accidental longitudinal displacement or shifting.

Now, in order to restrain the spring from engaging in the pivot openings, or from cutting into one of the pair of arms being interconnected, and also to make sure that said spring will seat properly and be truly centered, and whereby all force is truly axially against the cone, I have interposed a washer element l3 between said spring and the adjacent face of the arm 2, this washer preferably having a bore therethrough of a size sufficiently larger than that of the opening 4 so that the reduced end of the cone element may move therethrough for a predetermined distance, to permit the spring .to push the nut down or away from the arms and actuate the cone through the pivot openings.

A peripheral flange !4 may be formed on said washer to provide a cup to receive the adjacent end of said spring and provide a seat thereat to properly center said spring so that all of its pressure is truly axially of the cone element, insuring even engagement and bearing at said openings 3 and 4 of the arms. If desired, a second flange I5 may be provided at the outer periphery of the washer to additionally center the spring and if needed, act as a reinforcement to strengthen the washer.

As clearly shown, after my replacement unit is installed, the cone element will fit snugly and closely in the openings of the relatively movable pair of overlapped arms, to act as a pivot therefor, and will be moved axially as the openings are worn, and thus take up excess play, such compensating adjustment acting automatically and smoothly as said wear occurs. The nut may be adjusted to set the pressure as desired.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, arrangement, construction and combination herein shown and described, except as limited by the state of the art to which this invention appertains, or by the claims hereunto appended.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a self-adjusting connector for pivotally interconnecting a pair of arms which are superimposed on one another and are provided with substantially like-sized aligned pivot openings therethrough, a frusto-conical pivot element axially longer than the combined thicknesses of both of said arms, bearing in both of said openings but projecting only partially within the second opening, a threaded shank extending axially from the smaller end of said pivot element, a nut adjustably mounted on said shank, a spring on said shank between said nut and the adjacent arm, and a cup washer on said shank between said last-mentioned arm and the spring and bearing against the former to provide a seat for the latter and space the same and said adja cent arm apart.

2. In a self-compensating pivotal interconnection for a pair of overlapped arms provided with substantially like-sized registering pivot openings therethrough, a truncated cone element longer than the combined thicknesses of both of said arms and with its reduced end inserted entirely through one of said arms but only partially through the second arm, a threaded shank fixed to said pivot element to be integral therewith and projecting axially from its smaller end, a nut threadedly adjustable on said shank, a coil spring encircling said shank between the nut and the second arm, and a cup washer on said shank to bear against the adjacent face of said second arm and having an opening therethrough aligned with the opening through the latter and at least as large as said opening to receive one end of the spring therein.

3. In a self-adjusting connector for pivotally interconnecting a pair of overlapped arms which are provided with substantially like-sized registering pivot openings therethrough, a truncated cone element of greater length than the combined thicknesses of both of said arms and having its reduced end bearing in the pivot openings in said arms, the enlarged end of said element projecting above the first arm and provided thereat with adjusting-tool engaging means, a threaded shank substantially permanently fixed to said element and projecting axially from its reduced end, a combination locking and adjusting nut threaded on said shank and provided with a 6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date MacMulkin Nov. 24, 1908 Jackson Nov. 8, 1921 Reed Nov. 14, 1944 Worel Mar. 19, 1946 

